Quilter's Knot

porch. She picked up her bag and headed back to the Tree House.

Mavis was in the kitchenette munching on a cookie when Harriet came in.

'What's wrong, honey,” she asked around her mouthful. She reached out, putting the back of her hand on Harriet's forehead. “Your cheeks are pink, are you feeling okay?” she asked. “Do you feel feverish?'

'I'm fine-at least, for now, anyway.” She explained her encounter with Tom.

'He can't just barge in here and demand that you go with him,” Mavis said indignantly.

'I was trespassing, don't forget, and, actually, apart from my embarrassment, I'd like to speak to him. According to Lauren's brother, Tom is the one who ships quilts around from school to school for evaluation. He could have the answers about how a quilt that looks like Lauren's ended up in England.'

'Oh, honey, do you think that's wise?'

'If we're going to help Lauren, we need answers.” Harriet ticked off the points on her fingers. “One, Selestina copied Lauren's quilt-maybe-and, two, now Lauren is accused of killing Selestina. Three, we know Lauren didn't kill Selestina, but, four, the quilt copying has to be connected. I can just feel it.'

She clenched her fists in frustration. “It's just too big a coincidence that as soon as we discover the plagiarism the person most likely to be doing it dies suspiciously. And now we find out that her son was selling her property out from under her, which gives her a good reason to want him dead, not vice versa.'

Mavis took her by both hands, pulled her to a wooden stool and pushed her onto it.

'Take a deep breath, honey, you're turning red again.'

Harriet did as instructed.

'All we really know,” Mavis said, “is that someone killed Selestina and the police believe it was our Lauren. We know it wasn't, so that means a very dangerous person is still out there, someone willing to kill if you get in his way.'

'I'll be careful. I'm telling you, when we figure out what's going on with the quilts, we're going to know who killed Selestina.” Harriet picked a Braeburn apple from a bowl of fruit that had appeared on the counter since the last time she was at the house and put it in her pocket. “Besides, killers rarely do in strangers. We're in the most danger when we're with our loved ones.'

'Well, that's a happy thought,” Mavis said.

Harriet looked at the wall clock. She still had an hour before Tom arrived.

'Les also told me about some studio space Selestina has-it's farther back in the woods. If Selestina was copying student work, maybe the answers will be there. And I've got some time to kill before Tom comes back.'

'I don't think going off in the woods by yourself to go snooping in a studio that is obviously private is a good idea,” warned Mavis.

'I'll go with,” Carla volunteered. She was just coming down the stairs and had apparently heard the last part of the conversation. She laid a sheaf of papers on the counter in front of Harriet.

'Do you even know where I'm talking about?'

'I heard you say it was Selestina's private studio.'

'We'll be trespassing,” Harriet reminded.

'I think Selestina's beyond caring,” Carla replied, surprising Harriet. The girl was starting to show glimpses of a dry wit that might become wicked with the right guidance. “And if we can get things sorted out for Lauren that would be good, right?'

'I'd feel better if you had someone with you, honey,” Mavis said as she picked up the tea kettle and started filling it with water.

Harriet looked from Carla's hopeful face to the worry lines on Mavis's wrinkled one.

'Okay,” she surrendered with a sigh. “We better go if we're going to do this.'

Carla opened the door and found Patience on the porch. She stepped aside to let the teacher in.

'You two look like you're going somewhere.'

'We're just going out for a walk around the meadow,” Harriet said.

'Yeah, we been sitting all day,” Carla added.

Patience looked over the rims of her glasses. “Apparently not in the classroom.'

Carla started to say something, but Harriet nudged her and the words died on her lips.

'At least, one of you didn't show up. Ray Louise said Harriet wasn't in class today. She asked me to check and make sure nothing was wrong.'

'A friend of mine from Foggy Point is here in town, and he was injured yesterday, so I went to visit him this morning. You know, to make sure he was okay.'

'Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply you were playing hooky. We just…” She stopped and thought a minute, then began again. “Selestina always wanted to make sure students got their money's worth when they were enrolled here, and between our lovely setting and the rigors of our curriculum, students have a tendency to start skipping class as the week wears on. Some of the teachers get overwhelmed with students coming to them at the end wanting notes and materials from the class sessions they missed, and unfortunately, some dealt with the issue by refusing to give notes out except in class.'

'So, you're the truant officer,” Harriet said with a half smile.

Patience smiled back at her. “I suppose I am.'

'I got the handouts for Harriet,” Carla said, and then looked at her feet. Harriet realized she hadn't seen her do that lately.

'I guess you won't need these, then,” Patience held up a sheaf of papers that was identical to the set Carla had placed on the counter a few minutes earlier.

'Oh, Patience, I'm sorry you went to all the trouble. Thank you,” Harriet said.

'It was no trouble. You were doing so well in class yesterday, I didn't want you to miss anything.” Patience turned and went back out.

'Seems like people around here are bending over backwards to make sure the students don't leave early because of Selestina,” Mavis said. “That woman's visited us at least once a day, hasn't she? Jan said she's been coming by their place, too.'

'You can't blame her,” Harriet said. “She's still got a business to run. She needs to make sure we all come back.'

'I suppose so.” Mavis looked at the clock. “You better scoot.'

Carla and Harriet left the Tree House and went down the path toward the meadow.

'It's not too late to change your mind,” Harriet said as they entered the woods.

'I'm good,” Carla said. She tipped her head down. “This is a lot more exciting than diapers and laundry.'

Harriet looked at her, and a wave of guilt washed over her as she thought of how much time she spent feeling sorry for herself, sitting with a full stomach on her comfortable couch in her warm parlor with soft music playing on her stereo. Carla was living in a car, raising a baby and probably going to bed hungry, by the looks of it. Yet, here she was at Harriet's side, willing to risk life and limb to help Lauren, who as near as Harriet could tell had never been anything but mean and judgmental toward her.

Chapter Twenty

The path from the Tree House joined the loop trail just beyond the dining cabin. The women followed the trail past the fiber arts building and then the ceramics building. The day was warmer than the previous one, and the damp layer of rotting needles and bark that made up the forest floor gave off a fine cloud of fir-scented steam.

A duck flew across the meadow as they entered the clearing, skidding to an open-winged stop as it reached the water. Carla jumped as it flapped its wings.

'Sorry,” she said. “I guess I'm a little jumpy.'

Harriet had noticed Carla had the sort of startle reflex one associated with whipped puppies and battered women.

'The studio should be somewhere over there,” she said, and pointed across the pond. She raised her hand up to shield her eyes from the sun, but she still couldn't see a building. “Can you see anything?'